1. The field of art to which the invention pertains comprises the art of pipe joints that includes a protector for the commodity carrying pipe portion thereof.
2. Service connectors are commonly employed for connecting an underground gas service line to an aboveground meter installation as for a public utility gas supply to a residence or the like. Such service connectors, also commonly termed "meter risers", are available from a variety of manufacturers and typically comprise an elongated length of elbow-shaped steel riser pipe unioned at both ends for enabling suitable connections to be made. Because of the combustibility of the gas and the hazards posed by potential pipe failure, government Code regulations (Department of Transportation, Title 49, Section 192) require that the gas carrying steel riser be cathodically protected and periodically inspected for signs of deterioration and/or damage from which failure could result. Even where the service line and/or main are constructed of acceptable plastic composition such as polyethylene, these same Code regulations have effectively precluded use of plastic service risers because of higher anticipated aboveground temperatures at which tensile strength of the riser would diminish. Thus, despite recognition of the gas carrying capability of plastic pipe and the elimination of cathodic protection and associated economic savings that would result if such service connectors were constructed of plastic rather than steel, it has not heretofore been known how to economically and consistently construct such a service connector with the reliability demanded by safety and by the industry. A form of gas service connector for plastic pipe is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,686.